Information and advice for trainee teachers with disabilities

The government is committed to maintaining the highest possible standards in schools and therefore recognises the importance of attracting skilled and talented people from a variety of backgrounds, including disabled people. Disabled teachers can also help young people raise their aspirations and educate them about respecting diversity and individuality.

Skill: National Bureau for Students with Disabilities works with the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) to provide specific advice for disabled trainee teachers. There are a range of resources including a website at www.skill.org.uk/teaching with helpful information and answers to the most frequently asked questions. The website covers issues such as support, funding, the Disability Discrimination Act and the 'fitness to teach' regulations.

Skill also has a dedicated helpline for disabled trainee teachers. The number is 0800 158 5508 and the helpline is open at the following times:

Mondays 10:00 - 13:00

Wednesdays 13:00 - 16.00

You can also email the helpline at teaching@skill.org.uk

Applying for postgraduate initial teacher training courses

If you have a disability or specific learning difficulty, you are strongly encouraged to make early direct contact with individual training providers before submitting your application.

Under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), training providers must not discriminate against disabled trainee teachers in areas such as admissions and the provision of student services. The DDA requires them to make 'reasonable adjustments' to their services so that disabled trainee teachers are not placed at a 'substantial disadvantage'. In addition, all higher education institutions should now have a Disability Equality Scheme, setting out how they intend to improve disability equality across their institution.

As part of the application process for an Initial Teaching Training course, the law currently requires you to pass a physical and mental fitness to teach test. All applicants have to complete a declaration of health questionnaire and may also be assessed by an occupational health adviser. The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) recognises that many people with disabilities or long-term health conditions have the health and physical capacity to train to teach. Furthermore, if you have a disability, the occupational health adviser must consider all reasonable adjustments to enable you to meet the Fitness to Teach criteria.

If you want to discuss your application in confidence all training providers have disability coordinators or advisers. You can look up their contact details on the Skill website at www.skill.org.uk/into_hefe/into_he.asp.

The disability coordinator can tell you what support is available and help set up an information visit. This is an opportunity to talk to staff about any adaptations that may be needed. You might also want to talk to the head of department or other academic staff for specific course information.

If you visit a training provider, it might be helpful to take with you a checklist of questions to ask members of staff and students. What you ask will obviously depend upon the nature of your disability, but the following are examples of questions you might include.


  • Are all the buildings I need to use physically accessible?
  • Are there any particular facilities for disabled students?
  • Are there any current students with a similar impairment?
  • What support do they receive?
  • Who will help organise my support?
  • Can you help me apply for additional funding if needed?
  • Are the methods of teaching and assessment appropriate to my needs?
  • What would happen if I started the course and experienced a problem?

Telling training providers about your disability in advance can also help them to prepare and arrange support in time for the start of your course. If you are unsure what to tell training providers, you may find it helpful to read the Telling people about your disability booklet on the Skill: National Bureau for Students with Disabilities website.

The training provider will not always pay for everything. Instead, you may be able to get funding through Disabled Students' Allowances.

Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA)

DSAs are designed to help with the costs that you incur, in attending your course, as a direct result of your disability or specific learning difficulty. They are available to full-time and part-time students with disabilities, although part-time students with disabilities must be studying at least 50% of a full-time course.

How much you get does not depend on your income or that of your household. Unlike student loans, this assistance does not have to be repaid.

Depending on your needs, extra support from the DSA could include:

  • specialist equipment, for example computer software, digital recorders, CCTV
  • a non-medical helper, such as a note-taker, specialist tutor or sign-language interpreter
  • extra travel costs you have to pay because of your disability, including transport to placement schools
  • other costs, for example extra photocopying costs, Braille paper, ink cartridges.

It is important that you let your awarding authority eg Student Finance England, local authority (LA) in Wales, Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) or local education and library board (ELB) in Northern Ireland know straight away if you have a disability and think you will need extra help or equipment on your course. In England you can request an application form for DSAs at the same time as making your online GTTR application.

DSA forms

DSA forms are available to download from the sites listed below.

England: www.studentfinanceengland.co.uk

Wales: www.studentfinancewales.co.uk

Scotland: www.saas.gov.uk

Northern Ireland: www.education-support.org.uk

Disabled Students' Allowance: Have your say!

The Disabled Students Allowance Quality Assurance Group (DSA-QAG) have developed an online survey to analyse students' perspective on the service provided by both DSA Assessment Centres and DSA suppliers. They are inviting you to participate in this short survey and help monitor and improve the service that you, and future students, receive when applying for Disabled Students' Allowances. Take the DSA-QAG Student Survey now

Further information

For specific information about funding, please visit the Student Finance England website.

Contact the GTTR

If you need help or advice on your individual application, contact our Customer Service Unit on 0871 468 0 469 (or 0044 871 468 0 469 from outside the UK), 08.30-18.00 (UK time) Monday to Friday . UK BT landline calls will cost no more than nine pence per minute. The cost of calls from mobiles and other networks may vary.

If you have hearing difficulties, you can call the Text Relay service (text phone) on 18001 0871 468 0 469 from within the UK
(or on 0044 151 494 1260 from outside the UK). You will need to ask the operator to dial 0871 468 0 469.